ONFIRE JAPAN NEWS February 2010

Hi friends, nearby and far flung...

There are a couple of coming events which we would love your prayer and networking for.
One is a Returnee Conference, and the other is a Bethel Church Supernatural School of Ministry team visit.

If you're in Japan, please check out the details below and pray about how you could be involved.
If you are out of Japan and have contacts, friends, family in Japan, please let them know!
If you are out of Japan and have no contact with any Japanese whatsoever, then please pray! (and you could visit a local tourist spot and see if you can make some Japanese friends...)

And everyone is welcome to pray that God will use these coming events to continue to stir revival in Japan, and welcome the harvest, for His glory.

Blessings upon you all!
Jef Linscott
(Toyota's still rule!)

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WHAT: All Nations Returnee Conference (ANRC10)
WHERE: Ibaragi (Tokyo Area)
DATES: March 19th to 22nd
WHO:
Japanese who were saved overseas, and have since returned to Japan (Returnees). Japanese Christian ministries and churches which reach out to returnees.
PLEASE PRAY: We are a "support organisation" for the conference, and will have our friends (Miho Arai, and Chad Huddleston) at the conference to share vision and to meet people. Please pray for God to introduce key people who we can encourage and stir with a vision for revival and harvest in Japan. Many returnees are fired up when they first come back to Japan but discouagement sets in and they often lose all connection, and sometimes lose faith. Please pray for a network of encouragement to see people connected relationally, and encouraged daily.
DETAILS: For those who might be interested details in English and Japanese are at: http://allnations.jp/

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WHAT: Bethel Team visit, camp and meetings
WHERE: Kansai, Shizuoka and Tokyo Areas (Camp will be at KBI in Ikoma)
DATES: March 23rd to 28th (schedule below)
WHO: "The poor in spirit" ... for their's is the Kingdom!

Details below in English and Japanese details are online at: http://www.onfire.jp/events_events.php

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Tentative Schedule:
For a full, up-to-date schedule please check http://www.onfire.jp/events_bethelteam2010.php

KANSAI TEAM
Wed 24th March Church Ministry
Thu 25th March Kingdom Come Camp
Fri 26th March Kingdom Come Camp
Sat 27th March Kingdom Come Camp

Evening: Church Ministry
Sun 28th March Church Ministry

TOKYO, SHIZUOKA TEAM
Wed 24th March Tokyo
Thu 25th March Tokyo
Fri 26th March Tokyo
Sat 27th March Shizuoka
Sun 28th March Shizuoka

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KINGDOM COME CAMP
(March 25 - 27 at KBI, in Ikoma, Nara-ken)

Worship, fellowship, prayer together.
Teaching and encouragement in the practical experience of the gifts of the Spirit: prophecy, word of knowledge, prayer for the sick etc.
Outreach to the city to share and bless people.
Practical workshops in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Spiritual Gifts,
evangelism, prophecy etc. and more.

Kids' Program
Elementary School Kids age focus (older kids will be conscripted as leaders!)
Over night, fun, games, food, fellowship... along with worship, dance, expression, art etc.
Simple teaching and practical experience of the gifts of the Spirit: prophecy, word of knowledge, prayer for the sick etc.

Dates:
Thursday March 25th, Registration 4:00pm, Meeting 7:00pm
All day Friday March 26th
until Saturday March 27th, final meeting at 1:30pm, clean-up and leave 4:00pm

Costs: (3 days, 2 nights, 5 meals) Adult 11,000 yen, Junior High/Elementary Student 8000 yen, 5 and under 3500 yen.
Day or partial attendance is possible.

Camp information: http://www.onfire.jp/kc/details.html
Registration: http://www.onfire.jp/kc/contact.html

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CHURCH/AREA MINISTRY (openings on March 24, 27, 28)

We are willing to send a team to your church for ministry... please let us know your needs.
Contact us if you have any questions.

"Watch Japan!"

I was encouraged today by reading a blog of a prominent pastor/leader who wrote this on May 18th, 2009:

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2009-5-18 www.stevepenny.net

WATCH JAPAN

I woke early today and began praying for the nations and during my prayers I felt God drop two words into my heart. “Watch Japan.”
I have no idea what it relates to except that something is about to happen in Japan.
Up till now Japan has not really been on my radar although I am well aware of the significant work that my friend Rod Plummer and the Jesus Life House are doing in the cities of Japan as well as other fine ministries.
This however is different.
Japan is about to open to the gospel of Jesus Christ like never before.
I get the sense that a major awakening to the Christian gospel is happening even now, and that events about to happen will turn people’s hearts toward the Lord.
I am calling all our friends and partners to put Japan on your spiritual radar and join me in praying like never before for this great nation.
Maybe this is just for me, but I get the sense that God may well be speaking to many others as to Japan’s time for a spiritual awakening.
If you have any thoughts then let me know as I am deeply stirred by God’s direction and declaration for Japan.

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Good word, eh?

The thing that I am excited about is that he says “This however is different...”
Japan has seen a lot of orthodox Christian evangelism and work, but we are believing for something completely different.

Yes, a visitation of God by the Holy Spirit... but also people receiving it and running with it in a different way to the past. A unstoppable movement that moves throughout society from person to person, family to family, group to group... just as in the early church.

 
Honestly speaking... it is has been really difficult to believe and pursue something that we have never seen major success in, in Japan. The things that have yielded moderate success are the more orthodox “gathering” focussed evangelism works.

However, our heart is on the Holy Spirit penetrating pre-established social groups with his power and presence, and seeing groups of believers formed into functioning “churches”, although they might never look like a churches that we are used to seeing.

We are pressing on to see the move of the Spirit that he is promising... being faithful with what we have and believing for more. Although we can't see it just yet, we believe that this is what God wants to do in this great nation.

Although it tarries... we will wait for it! (Hab 2:3, Rom 8:25)

Did you know, you have the answer to every problem, that every person in all mankind will ever face?
Whether that is a physical sickness, a problem of sin, a problem of the heart, a relationship problem, or even death itself.

By the Holy Spirit living in you, you are the vessel by which God wants to bring the answers of His Kingdom to the people and world around you.

Jesus went about everywhere, doing good, healing people, setting people free from demons and saving them from their sin.
In other words, he brought the fulness of the Kingdom of God wherever he went, and every person that had a need who came to Jesus, left with that need being met.
There is not one example of a person asking Jesus to help and Jesus turning them away and saying he didn't have the answer for them.

Many times Jesus declared over us, those who believe and follow him, that we would do the same
Jesus said to us: "Freely you have received, freely give..."

MATT 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

We have not only been saved, healed and delivered ourselves, we have freely received the Holy Spirit who is wanting to save, heal and deliver people through us.

I want to challenge you today... look for how you can serve those around you, in a supernatural way.
Of course, it is good to serve peoples natural needs too; finances, food, clothing, friendship etc. but I believe people are waiting to see the reality of a Supernatural God who meets their needs supernaturally displayed to them.

You are God's chosen vessel to display his love through your faith and obedience.

“I for Japan”

Hi friends,

You are probably here because you have a heart for God, and a heart for Japan.

I love history, and one of my favourite figures is a chap who lived about 100 years ago called Uchimura Kanzo. Now, I don't necessarily agree with everything he said and taught, but he did teach and say some great stuff, and had some marvelous revelation on the Kingdom. I visited his grave site in Tokyo last month and found these words in English on the head stone:

I for Japan

Japan for the World

The World for Christ

And all for God

Wow! What a great statement of worship and purpose. To be “for” Japan is the servant heart of God; Jesus was for the world when he gave his life to redeem us.

I’m praying that we can be a fulfillment of Uchimura’s prayer.

I hope to be updating this blog with different news items and testimonies for English speakers who have a heart for Japan. Please stay in touch!

Jef